Improvement in car-couplings



l position when coupling the cars.

. ling-pinV and lifting-block.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE WARREN SPARKS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,475, dated July 25, 1871 antedated July 13, F871.

others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a detail sectional view of my i mproved car-coupling, showing the parts in their Fig. 2 is the same view as Fig'. 1, showing the coupling-pin raised ready to couple the cars automatically. Fig. 3 is the same view as Figs. l and 2, showing the position of the parts when the cars are run together without having the couplin g-pin raised. Fig. 4 is a detail rear view of the coup- Fig. 5 is a reversed perspective view oi' the swinging bar and its attachments.

My invention has for its object to furnish a simple and convenient car-coupling, which shall be so constructed as to couple the cars when they are run together, whether the coupling-pin be up or down, which cannot be uncoupled accidentally by a sudden jar, and which shall at the same time be simple in construction and not liable to get out of order, no springs being used in its construction; and it consists in the construction and combinati on of the various parts of the coupling, as hereinafter more fully described.

A represents the bumper-head, the mouth of 4 which is made hopper-shaped, in the ordinary manner. The interior cavity of the bumper-head Ais enlarged or curved upward upon the rear part of its upper side, for adapting it to couple cars lof different height, and to hold the link B in proper position to enter the bumper-head of the next car when the cars are run together. The forward part of the lower side of the bumper-head is recessed, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The forward end of the recess a is made with a straight shoulder for the lower end of the coupling-pin O to rest against while sustaining the draft strain. The forward part of the bottom of the recess a', upon which the lowerv end of the coupling-pin C rests, is made about horizontal, and its rear part inclines upward, as shown. This shown in Fig. 1, so that they cannot be touched or interfered with by the working of the couplinglink when the cars are coupled. The couplingpin O is pivoted to the bumper-head, and held in position and guided as it moves up and down in coupling and uncoupling the cars by a pin, D, passing through its upper end, and the ends of which enter vertical grooves in the sides of the cavity inV the bumper-head in which the said coupling-pin moves up and down. E is a block, the lower end of which is notched or recessed to receive the upper end of the coupling-pin C, to which the said block is pivoted by the pin D. The upper end of the block E is made curved upon the arc of a circle, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and is grooved to receive the end of the trigger, as shown in the iigures. To the upper end of the block E is attached the end of the coupling-chain F, which passes out through an opening or hole in the upper side of the bumperhead, and is secured in such a position that it may be conveniently reached when required for uncoupling the cars. G is a stop-block attached to the side of the bumper-head, and the lower end of which is curved, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to correspond with the curve of the upper end ofthe block E. By this construction when the cars are coupled the upper end of the block E drops down below the stop G, which thus becomes a lock, and prevents the possibility ofthe coupling-pins rising and uncoupling the cars without first raising the block E by the chain F, so that it will be impossible for a jar or jolt to raise the coupling-pin and uncouple the cars. H is a bar, having arms 7L formed upon or attached to its upper end and projecting nearly at right angles, and the ends of which are pivoted to the bumper-head at the sides of the cavity in which the coupling-pin O moves up and down. To the lower end of the bar H is attached a step, I, which, when the coupling-pin C is raised, swings forward beneath the lower end of the said coupling-pin C, as shown in Fig. 2, and supports it until withdrawn from beneath it by the enteringlink. In a slot in the lower end of the bar H is pivoted a lever, J, the rear end of which is weighted, as shown in the drawing, and to the forward part of which is rigidly attached an arm or trigger, K, upon which the lower end of the coupling-pin C rests, to hold the jointed lower part L of the lever J depressed into such a position that the end of the entering-link B may strike it and push back the step I, allowing the coupling-pin to drop into the coupling-link and couple the cars. The lower'part L of the leverJ isY jointed to the body of said lever, as shown in the drawing, to enable the link B to be withdrawn from the bumpenhead when the parts are in the position j shown in Fig. 2, as the cars are drawn apart without interfering with the position of the other parts of the coupling.

By this construction, when the cars are to be uncoupled, all that is necessary is for lthe coupling-pin C to be raised. rIhe bar H and its attachments immediately swing forward so that lthe coupling-pin C, when released and allowed l to drop, will be received upon the step I and supported, asshown in Fig. 2, so that when the cars are drawn apart the link B may raise the jointed part L of the lever J and pass out, the said part L immediately dropping back into the position shown in Fig. 2, making it impossible for the link to enter the bumper-head without pushing back the bar H and its attachments and allowing the coupling-pin C to drop and pass through the said link. By this construction, also, should the cars be run together with the coupling-pin C down the lower end of said coupling-pin will be pushed back, as shown in Fig. 3, until the end of the link has passed the end of the pin C, allowing said pin to swing forward to its place, coupling the ears, so that it is impossible for the parts of the coupling to be in such a position that the cars will not be coupled automatically when run together.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The notched, pivoted, and grooved block E a-nd stop G, in combination with the coupling-pin C Y and Ybumper-head A, Ysubstantially Yas herein shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The swinging bar H h, step I, pivoted, weighted, and jointed lever J L, and arm or trigger K, in combination with the coupling-pin O and bumper A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. An improved car-coupling, formed by the combination ofthe coupling-pin C, block E, stopblock G, swinging bar H hf, step G', weighted and jointed lever J L, and arm or trigger K with each other and with the bumper A, said parts being constructed and operating substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 31st day of January, 1870.

THEODORE VARREN SPARKS.

Vitnesses GEO. WV. MABEE, JAMEs T. GRAHAM. 

